Feline Felicity
by FreedomMist
Summary: Lenalee, a first-year college student, suffers from homesickness and loneliness, often finding herself trying to escape reality rather than living in it. But what happens when she finds a certain white cat in the woods? She takes the poor thing in, of course! AU. Allen x Lenalee.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N:** Alright folks, this is my first fanfiction ever, so please be gentle. I've noticed some serious lack of Allen x Lenalee stories here on fanfiction and decided it was about time to whip myself into shape and actually write a story. xD This was actually inspired by a real-life experience of mine in which I was bike riding through the woods and stumbled upon a white kitten (although in this story, he is definately a teenage cat. xD). Eventually, I gave him to one of my good friends and she named him 'Smudge'. Actually, I might use that name in the story for a bit..xD

**Disclaimer:** I don't own anything D. Gray-Man, but if I did, Allen would be able to turn into a cat. xD

* * *

It was a peaceful afternoon. The sun was shining magnificently as the birds chirped, perching on oak trees and fluffing their tiny bodies to the size of softballs. Many people passed by, sporting summer shorts and a dog by their side. The pond was a dark shade of blue, reflecting the beautiful trees in its mysterious abyss with an occasional duck or two disturbing its peaceful creation.

She sighed then, thinking it was about a good time to go. Grabbing her backpack, she closed her sketchbook, never fully completing the marvelous capture, and stood up from the bench. Stretching her arms behind her neck, she let out another sigh, relief flowing throughout her entire body.

Sometimes, it just simply feels great to escape reality.

Kicking the kickstand of her violet colored bicycle back, the teenage girl hoped up and over onto the cushioned bike seat. Her dark flats pushed against the petals, giving her always reliable friend another taste of what it feels like to live. She flew down the hilly sidewalk that surrounded the beautiful pond, long dark pigtails flowing freely behind her like ribbons, letting the refreshing wind splash against her face.

As she approached a small parking lot, she swung the handle bars and slowed her bike down slightly, clutching the break gently enough so it didn't make an obnoxious squeaking noise. She avoided a car that was pulling out, most likely never seeing her once.

After crossing the parking lot and the road that followed, she finally located a small little path in the forest, covered by moss and vines. Putting pressure on the petals once again, she flew up the tiny path's hill, making sure to avoid the tree roots that infested the dry ground.

Glancing behind her back once again to look at the ever breathtaking scenery - the only paradise she had in this troubling place - she continued on the dusty path towards the metal jungle, or as most people call it, Millennium City.

It's not that Lenalee hated the city. No, not at all, it's fascinating in its own way. She likes some of the people, she's made a few friends (or rather people she talks to) at the University, and she's even joined a club. Well, _had_ joined a club. Although, it was never really made official anyways. More like she appeared twice, sat awkwardly in the back, got bored the second day and left without telling anyone, like they'd really notice anyway. That's what she gets for trying to fit in with the drama crowd - for trying to be someone she's not, that is.

Bump. The front wheel hit a rock.

It's not like she's antisocial either. Maybe slightly on the socially awkward side, but definitely _not_ antisocial. She loves being surrounded by people and the attention she receives along with it. It feels good to be close to people that care for her, even though she may have some difficulty outwardly expressing her joy into the correct facial features. It definitely makes her feel warm and fuzzy inside.

A hawk dove down from a pine tree, landing on the mud and began scratching its talons away frantically underneath a log. It managed to pierce a mouse just before Lenalee scared it off with her bicycle, avoiding the magnificent animal entirely.

But here, in this jungle of buildings, she can't really say she's had a single moment like that. Sure, she's had multiple jerks whistle at her on the streets and honk their horns annoyingly in her ear, but really, who would want attention like that? It's only been two weeks since she moved into her apartment, but already she feels almost..empty. Well, not quite, but definitely emptier.

_Especially_ without having her older brother with her.

It couldn't hurt to call Komui one more time today, he would probably squeal out of sheer excitement.

Ducking to avoid a tree branch overhead, she prepared herself for the large hill that was gradually becoming ever larger. Picking up her pace, she pushed herself off the bike seat and began pumping her weight into each rotation.

It's decided. When she gets to the apartment, she'll definitely make sure to give her brother a call. She wants to hear his voice one more time, although admitting it out loud will most likely never happen, especially to him. She didn't want to be squeezed to death the next time they see each other.

The front tire hit the bottom of the hill as Lenalee raced onto the earth-made ramp. The tree roots were avoided as best as she could, occasionally feeling a large bump or two that her bike was forced to climb over.

It all happened in a single instant.

Suddenly, her bike caught oddly on a loose tree root, turning awkwardly to the side. Lenalee gasped and clutched the handlebars as hard as her hands would let her, attempting to catch her balance. Sadly, nothing she could have done would have prevented the bike from falling to its side.

Lenalee felt a weird airborne sensation until her back made contact with hard ground, backpack doing little to cushion her fall. She grunted in pain as she was tossed down the side of the hill, limbs thrashing and trying to make a grab for anything at all, but to no avail. A tree hit her head hard as she tumbled, instinctively clutching at her skull as she fell down into the ravine below. The last thing she felt was a soft impact, and then everything went black.

* * *

….nature.

It smelled like nature.

...

Wait…nature? Nature has a nice smell.

...

Wait no - that's not the point. Why do I smell nature?

...

..Does nature even have a smell?

...

..Am I dreaming? What-OUCH! Ow.. ow, OW!

...

"-errrmm…" It was as though a thousand tiny hammers were banging against her skull. Moving her arm carefully from underneath her weight, she clutched at her head, messaging it gently with her palm. The rough surface on her normally soft hair told her one of two things; she either had twigs or giant clumps of dirt decorating the usually well-kept strands.

Crickets chirped noisily as the cool air brushed against her bare arms and legs, bringing forth lumpy goosebumps. Dewy grass soaked through her clothes, causing her to shiver lighty on the cold ground.

Oh that's right, she fell down a huge hill. Now how could she forget a catastrophic fall like that?

Wincing, she squinted one eye open, lashes unfolding and causing grass to move in their wake. Darkness.

She groaned and turned onto her side, unsquishing the backpack that was still wrapped somewhat securely against her back, a single strap ripped out of its socket. She could hear the faint sound of a babbling brook somewhere from behind her. Gradually, she moved an arm, placing a hand underneath her skull for a more comfortable position. Her head hurt worse as she lifted it, but it's not like she could just lay there forever. Well, on the other hand… no, she had to get home to her apartment.

Scanning the area with eyes cracked to no more than slivers, she could just make out the large, bold outline of a tree in front of her, but that was about as far as she could make out in the pitch darkness.

…Just how long was she out?

Trying to avoid thinking about the head injury, she mustered up all the strength she had into her arms. Slowly, she managed an awkward sitting position, but at least she was up..

..and looked around again just to get an idea of where the heck she was.

Which she really couldn't tell anyway, considering the fact that she couldn't see whatsoever. That little detail kind of complicated things.

Sighing quietly to herself, she brought her arm up to rest it on the back of her wounded head.

All of a sudden, there was a faint rustling noise - make that a rustling noise which was a little too close to her left for comfort. Her body jumped instantly out of fear, causing her to scrambled back as far away from the noise as possible, managing only a couple feet. Pain shot to her cranium, head reminding her that moving around was not such a fantastic idea. The noisy pattering did not cease. Abruptly, her mind jumped to one of her worst fears. She's watched plenty of uncut animal attacks on TV to know exactly just how this may go down. Absolutely no one would be able to hear her scream this deep in the woods, and getting eaten was definitely _not_ on her list of 'things to do' today!

As she crouched into a ball, arms protectively wrapped around her front, the noise instantly grew ever louder. Expecting the worse, she closed her eyes. At least this way she won't even see the attack comin-

"-meew."

Her eyes bolted open, locking instantly with the glowing orbs in front of her. They stared back at her, dilated pupils reflecting light in the darkness. She could see the shape of the animal too, nothing more than the size of a...

..I-it's a-a-

"-a-a-c-cat?" she all but whispered. In response, it cocked its head slightly to the side. A dark shadow, which she presumed was a tail, slithered against the fallen leaves.

Relief swept throughout her entire body as she collapsed onto the ground in an exhausted heap. She couldn't believe the trauma she went through in just a matter of minutes, it was almost unbelievable. In addition to her being lonely, now she had a head injury, and possibly a demolished bike hanging around somewhere. Not to mention, she just went through the most horrifying scare of her entire life!

A twig snapped and Lenalee was jolted out of her depressing thoughts, drawing her attention towards the cat for the second time. As her eyes adjusted, she could identify the outline of it better now, along with the rest of the forest. It took a slight step forward, watching her with those eerie glowing eyes that seemed to pierce through her soul, never wavering.

It must be cautious of her - she didn't blame it, she must look like a twiggy mess. Slowly, Lenalee managed another awkward sitting position. Balancing as best she could with one arm to support her, she slowly held out the other towards the cat.

It completely stopped all movement, glistening eyes drawn to the outstretched limb.

Lenalee managed a small smile, "It's okay kitty-kitty, I won't hurt you." She stretched her arm out further towards it.

Moments passed, and the animal did not back down. Carefully, it took out another paw from the safety of the tall grass and placed it on the ground. Another step forward, at least she was making progress. Standing still for a moment, the cat flicked its ears in all directions. It quietly took another step, eyes darting between her own and the limb.

Lenalee held her breath as it was all but inches away from her fingertips. She gently held her arm as still as she possibly could, attempting to hold back her unavoidable shaking. Curse her nerves.

The cat's eyes focused on her hand. Stretching its head to the farthest range it could accomplish with its small neck, it sniffed her index finger quietly, looking up into her eyes as though observing her.

From here, she could examine the cat more clearly. The thing that instantly stuck out to her most was _just_ how matted the cat's fur was. Although the whole pelt was relatively short, the mud caked into it could have been its own winter coat entirely. It's eyes, which she thought were just glowing yellow rings in the darkness, were actually much more beautiful than she had expected. They were grayish-purple, an odd but unique color that she just couldn't help but get lost into.

In a bold, quick move, Lenalee took her hand away from its nose and placed her fingers underneath its chin. The cat spooked slightly for an instant, until she began lightly scratching away at the matted fur underneath its neck. The cat's eyes slightly drooped as it allowed her access.

_Scratch, scratch._

Five seconds passed.

_Scratch, scratch._

Ten seconds passed.

_Scratch, scratch._

An ever so faint purr made itself audible, finally arriving to the surface.

Lenalee beamed. She's had enough experience around cats to know that most of them adore being scratched in that particular spot.

Scratching further, her fingernails dug into its bedraggled coat. It only put more pressure into her palm, wanting more. Gently, Lenalee began plucking away at a few of the dirt clumps located underneath its chin. That's when she noticed something a little surprising...

"…You're actually a white cat, aren't you?" Sure enough, white fur appeared pluck after gentle pluck. The cat made a faint 'mewing' noise in response, gently coaxing her hand with the side of its head as though wanting her to get back to scratching. She complied, and the cat closed its eyes in bliss, purring considerably louder this time around.

Lenalee laughed quietly, "You're quite the sweetheart too." It simply continued purring, rubbing against her hand with its head, muddied ears brushing against her knuckles. She had just realized that the whiskers sprouting out from its mud-caked face were also bright white – how could she have missed that? Well, she supposed the dark-colored appearance threw her off slightly.

That was when an idea struck her. Noiselessly, she withdrew her hand away from the cat, receiving an unhappy 'mewl' in response, and proceeded to stand up extremely slow as not to startle it. Her head still had a slight ache to it, but the pain dwindled considerably and was replaced with excitment upon meeting the animal - it must have been nothing more than a bump, but she'd better check it out later just in case of concussion. The cat gazed at her, head cocking to the side as though questioning her movements.

She bent down on her knees, holding out her arm for the second time.

"How would you like to come home with me?" She whispered, smiling brightly at the animal. Somewhere deep down in her mind, Lenalee liked to think animals could understand certain messages. Hopefully, this one at least got through to it even the smallest bit, she didn't want to pick it up without any warning after all.

The muddy animal watched her. Moments passed, and the silence rang loudly in her ears. Lenalee thought it was about a good time to make a careful move-

However, the cat did that for her. In one swift instant, it was shyly against her palm, caressing its face softly and purring faintly.

Lenalee could only smile at the adorable sight. The rough, dryed hairs on top of its head were bristly as it rubbed against her hand, but it was not unpleasent. Placing one finger against the side of its cheek, she scratched its face with the tip of her fingernail. The cat made a gentle 'mewing' noise, apparently liking the attention that spot was receiving - it was just _too_ cute!

Though Lenalee did not want it to end, she knew it was probably way past her bed time and it would most likely be a good idea to return to her apartment soon. Also, she was worried about the poor animal. Just how long has it been out in this forest without proper care? It obviously needed a bath.

Carefully, Lenalee removed her hand from the front of the cat and softly touched its back. The cat made no sudden movement, only a gentle flick of its tail. Cautiously still, she began wrapping her hands around the cat's muddy belly, lifting it up slightly from the ground. The cat made no sign of protesting, only watching her from behind its back when it got the chance.

She positioned the feline as comfortably as she could against her chest. Instantly, it fell limp in her arms. To say Lenalee was surprised would be an understatement - she couldn't believe how calm this cat was behaving!

Glancing down at the animal once again, she was about to begin her trek back home towards her apartment, but first she had to find a serious alternative route. There was no way she could climb back up that unforgiving hill, especially now with a cat huddled up in her grasp.

Then there was the bike...perhaps it'd be better off left here overnight. She honestly didn't want to imagine the condition it must be in.

Looking down, she caught the cat's curious gaze as she wove between trees. It was looking up at her with those beautiful big, grayish-purple eyes, something she imagined she'd never get used to.

The question irked her then, so she thought it'd be better to voice it, getting it off her chest.

"I wonder if you're a boy or a-"

The cat made a glum noise deep within its throat, giving her an odd stare in the process.

Lenalee giggled soundlessly, "Alright. A boy it is."

* * *

_Not supposed to.._

_But I couldn't say 'no' to her. Not after she smiled at me like that._

_..She's so cute._

* * *

**A/N:** Sooo, what did you think? I really hope the first chapter didn't seem rushed, because I feel like I rushed it. Also, let me know if there's something I should improve on! I'm honestly not much of a writer, but I love making stories! Really, I do! xD The next chapter will be longer, I promise! Also, I apologize if Lenalee acts a bit OOC, I tend to relate female characters to myself more than I should. xD Btw, I took the last line from the manga. It's chapter 18, page 14 if you're curious. ;)


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N:** I'm _ALIVE!_ :D So_ so so_ incredibly sorry it took so long! I'm almost done with my semester, so I should be cranking out a lot more of these. This chapter was so long, I had to break it up into a few parts; expect an update within a couple days! :D

* * *

If there was anything Millennium City was known for, it would undeniably be its rich, gothic architecture. The dark buildings stood solidly, rather on the short side, but stood out with their old, medieval look. For miles upon miles, the streets were covered in black cobblestone, a dull but fitting image for the city. Here, the ever so notorious carriage rides often parked along the sides of the road, tying up their black horses to posts scattered amongst the street. At the very heart of the abnormal city, a grand cathedral stood proudly, larger than any building in the residence – it was often seen as the city's symbol.

Gargoyles perched on top of every building imaginable, even the local bakery. Even the old-fashioned traffic lights had a darker hew to them. Everything was so dark, in fact, that the gothic structures of the buildings were hardly visible even during the daylight – this made the nighttime a literal nightmare.

Lenalee found that out the hard way.

After locating a really itchy, but delightfully quick, shortcut through the woods, Lenalee was relieved to discover a large hole in a wiry fence leading directly into the city. Thankfully, she had no trouble navigating through the prickly forest, although her stump of a backpack gave her quite a bit of difficultly – nearly every branch she ducked under, the backpack would end up fighting her and cling on to one of them. It was almost like it had some sort of grudge against her! Either way, she had gotten pretty good at tug-of-war in the process.

Tripping on a risen part of the street's sidewalks, she cursed herself for being such a sleepy lunkhead – and again for her _superb_ vocabulary. The purple lanterns that decorated every street corner have unknowingly become her best friends; without them, she would be as blind as a bat and would have probably run out into the middle of the street by now. As if to signal her bizarre thoughts, a few cars quickly passed by, causing her momentarily blindness until they flashed instantly out of sight.

Blinking her eyes to rid the glare that took hold of her vision, she focused her gaze steadily on the shop's windows that decorated each road. The thick glass protected the merchandise within, giving off a slight glare in the darkness as she took in her silhouette, barely able to distinguish her features from the large framework. Unfortunately, the next window she happened to walk past was a bar and she received a few creepy smiles in return for her staring– before she knew it, she was powerwalking as fast as she could down the street. Lenalee made a mental note to steer away from those hot spots as much as possible. Trouble was not really something she wanted tonight, or needed. The mere thought of it caused her to hug the soft huddle currently sleeping in her arms.

She glanced at the cat adoringly. It had only been about twenty minutes since she picked up the adorable creature, but it must have been completely exhausted. It fell asleep just moments after she picked – apparently 'him'- up from the forest. She wondered what he could have possibly been doing that far out in the woods. It's quite..abnormal, she had to say, to see any domesticated animal out on that path by itself. Maybe he just got lost, or unfortunately, chased by one of the larger predators that resided in the woods. Either way, she just wanted to get him safely to the apartment.

As if the heavens listened to her plea, the enormous, dark library finally came into view, making Lenalee sigh in quiet relief. Picking up her pace and holding the cat comfortably within her embrace, she powerwalked past the magnificent book palace, ignoring the shuddersome lion statues as they glared daggers at her back. Seriously, every time she returned from her classes, she could swear one of those things will come alive and gobble her up – her thoughts were apparently not helping her tonight one bit.

Once she saw the large, weeping willow tree that guarded the entrance to a gate, she bolted down the dead ended street; of course, slowly enough so that the animal didn't wake up. With a few large trees blocking the building, her apartment complex finally popped its way into her sight. Although not too small, the building was definitely the littlest, wedged between another larger apartment complex and a grand, Victorian house that housed a large graveyard in front. Talk about creepy, but then again the whole city was like that. As a result, she knew better as to not watch horror films at night, especially 'zombie apocalypse' themed. Yes, particularly those.

Trying to rid her head of those horrible images, she glanced back down at the ruffled animal in her arms. His body moved slowly up and down, a soft breath easing out of his belly with every fall. With little resistance, she couldn't help but stroke the cute guy as he slept. In response, his nose twitched cutely. He must have had a hard time out there. Hopefully, he was only out there for a day at the most – although, her unforgiving mind was telling her a single night would not have been capable of creating ragged fur like that. She really hoped that wasn't the case.

As she approached the single door of the worn-down, blackish-brown building, she knew this instantly wasn't going to be easy. To get in, she needed her key. The certain brass object, however deteriorated it may be, was located in her backpack. Being a human being, she needed both hands to get into her backpack, but unfortunately, there was an adorable cat occupying both her arms – The dilemma made her frown.

Lenalee sighed probably for the thousandth time that night. She really didn't want to do this, but she had no other choice.

Gently, she crouched down by the front entrance, carefully placing the cat on the concrete ground. To her dismay, he began to stir, eyes twitching and opening slightly. Tearing off what was left of her unpleasant backpack, she quickly began rummaging around for the key, which became quite the difficult task. Her hands moved blindly within the bottom of the sack, and unfortunately nothing seemed to have the texture of the key -Why couldn't finding things in a hurry ever work out? She didn't want the cat to run away!

For what felt like minutes, her hands finally grazed a cool object. Her face beamed brightly at the small victory as she pulled the object out and placed it into the gold keyhole, earning a clicking noise in response -Thank goodness! With her luck, she thought the handle part of the key would surely break off. Crouching down and zipping it louder than she should have, she slung the obnoxious backpack over her shoulders once again; it was honestly mad at her for a reason, probably had to do with landing on it and all. Lenalee took a deep breath, then in one quick motion, she glanced behind her, hoping against all hope that the feline didn't wander away-

Shockingly, the cat was wide awake and sitting completely still behind her. His large, unusual eyes that captivated her were only open to about sliver size and glazed over from sleep. He was attempting to focus on her, blinking the sleep out of his grayish orbs, a yawn stretching his face for an instant.

This caused her own mouth to stretch open – scrunching up her eyes as tears formed and cascaded down the side of her cheeks. It shocked her just how chilling the droplets were in the cool, night air. She clamped a hand automatically over her lips out of habit. Opening her eyes again, she couldn't help but giggle at the moment – really, who knew that animal yawns were contagious too?

The cat, now more awake, stared openly at her.

She glanced down happily at the sweet animal, simply amazed by his loyalty – he must know that there's not much else he could go in this city. Deep down, she wanted to believe it was more than that. Taking her eyes off of him, she gripped the ancient handle on the door. Pushing down on the golden knob, she opened the door to a sliver. Peeking in quickly, she gave a slight nod, grateful that some of her wishes were being heard tonight. Most of the time, they're ignored.

She focused her attention toward the cat again, and he perked up a little in response. "Okay," she said in a hushed whisper, "the apartment doesn't allow pets, but I'm sure they wouldn't notice. No one's up, so we shouldn't get caught…" she trailed off, not really noticing that she had spoken out loud. It was kind of surprising, to say the least. Nearly every college kid she knew stayed up to unthinkable hours of the night, and unfortunately, this building was infested with them. She really must have hit a luck streak tonight; for the first night since she's arrived here, she'll know she'll be able to sleep soundly thanks to the lack of parties going on. No one even seemed to be at the front desk!

The animal was silent as he flicked his tail, twitching his whiskers. Slowly, Lenalee pushed the door open further; the main lobby lights were turned on all throughout the night, thankfully, so she didn't need her night-ray vision anymore. She was kind of getting a knack for it after all that pitch darkness in the forest. Lenalee didn't know if that was a good thing or not, not at all really wanting to push the issue.

Turning away from the door but keeping it lodged open with her foot, she bent down on her knees towards the adorable creature that had waited patiently all this time. Drawing her arms out toward him, he looked widely back at her. This position would make it kind of difficult to lift him up again, but it honestly wasn't that much trouble. For a sweet little animal like him, she'd pick him up in a backflip if she could.

She stretched her arms out further, just inches out of reach from the animal, when suddenly a brown mass flew past her vision. It was so quick that her eyes bulged a second late, staring at the empty space in front of her – ..wasn't a cat there just a second ago…? Not grasping the situation, a "mew" interrupted her thoughts as her head turned swiftly towards the sound.

Within the cracked door of the apartment, there he was, already in the lobby. The light of the building brought out some of the lighter hairs sticking out underneath the clumpy knots. His ears twitched as he perched himself against the open door her foot was struggling to keep open. Forcing himself, he shoved on the wooden object with his head, attempting to keep it open with his little body like he was some sort of door wedge. He glanced up at her through mid-push, as though waiting for her to enter.

Lenalee was dumbfounded – there was no better word. Sitting there dumbly and founded gaping like a dummy.

Instantly she sat up and nudged the door open further with her elbow, relieving the cat of his duties. However, he continued to stand in that position until she finally walked into the building. Glancing at her up and down, he backed up away from the door and backtracked further beside her foot. Lenalee took her hand off its frame as it swung back with a 'click' – a quiet one, thank goodness. He sat down beside her, tail neatly placed on top of his paws.

…She couldn't believe she doubted this animal from running away when he was opening freaking _doors_ for her!

She couldn't help but stare down fondly at the animal as he gazed back at her, "..You're awfully polite, you know that?", and a smile escaped her mouth.

The cat looked away, attention seemingly caught elsewhere for the moment, flicking the tip of his tail up and down. His face seemed to be twitching an awful lot, switching his pupils from wall design to wall design, not ever really hitting a direct spot.

Maybe he was uncomfortable with the lobby? It was hard to say. Once she gets him to her room, perhaps he'll warm up a bit. He might just not be used to being indoors.

Clicking her tongue against the roof of her mouth, she took a step backwards, "..Alright," her eyes locked with silver as he turned to face her, "let's get going."

* * *

They rode the antique elevator all the way up to the 4th floor of the building. Lenalee herself was not a big fan of them, especially old, dirty elevators that could breakdown at any second, but she really wasn't in the state of mind to complain –she was simply too exhausted to climb the stairs. That, plus she could easily run into someone if they weren't careful or quiet enough… and then there was also the possibility of her falling asleep on the stairs…

Either way, the cat looked like he wasn't in any rush to argue with her either.

It was amazing really – she had only known the animal for less than a half hour and already he was following her around like a reliable old dog. The second she took her first step forward in the lobby, he was right on her heal with her. How odd, _really_. Unlike most animals that either walk behind or in front of the owner, he stood side by side with her, walking her pace, like he_ knew_ how people walk together.

Even now, standing outside her apartment door in the dim lighted, dark hallways, he was currently perched at her side, inspecting the red carpet that had certainly seen better days. Lenalee couldn't help but think this cat was too intelligent for his own good. He even made sure to steer clear of the door opening, that little Einstein! How did he know that!? Most of the time animals can't get there nose away from the door crack!

She took a deep breath - the cat brought his head up from the ground and eyed her curiously. She just shook her head, knowing she's probably over thinking everything.

Lenalee clenched the cold key in her hand, just to make sure it's presence was still there and proceeded to place it in the keyhole of her door. Pausing for a moment, she couldn't help but feel the need to warn the animal. "Please ignore the mess."

Unlike with the main apartment door, she swung her door open – not loudly, of course. She didn't want the whole building woken up – especially those cranky neighbors of hers. It was just that she felt much more comfortable with the current wooden object in front of her – in a way, after all, it was the passage way into her home away from home.

Reaching an arm out and feeling around on the inside of the wall, she located her destination. _Click._

The bright lights fluttered on and illuminated the whole living courters. In all honestly, it was not that messy. Just some packing boxes that seriously needed to be put away and some clothes scattered about, but it was definitely messier than she was used to. At least no garbage or trash covered her living courters like she's seen inside some of the other apartments and dorms - now _that_ would be a mess.

The apartment itself was a comfortable size, not at all large, but livable. There was a living room –kitchen attached- with a bedroom and a bathroom down a little hallway off to the side. Oh, and another unoccupied room. Much smaller than her bedroom, more like the size of a walk-in closet – it was currently packed with a mountain of storage boxes and suitcases. It was also a magnificent place to get locked into – Lenalee found that out the hard way as well.

The walls were painted a pretty lilac; Lenalee thought it was a beautiful color that matched her tastes perfectly -It was almost like it was _made_ for her. Well, then again, it _could_ have been. Komui did help her find an apartment to stay in; he was also the one to choose the actual room she _will_ be staying in, thinking back on it now. Not only was the color one of her favorites, but it was also a nice change from the shady city outside her walls – seeing black every day, she wouldn't lie, depresses her in a way, so thankfully she had a great way to escape it.

She also had a medium sized TV- not a widescreen, she really didn't think she needed one – and a coffee table which held an ancient laptop with a cracked screen, something else that seriously needed some fixing.

There was also the large, glass doors with the balcony attached. Every time she gets the chance, she watches the sunset that usually fades behind the grand library that blocks most of her view of the city – not that she's really complaining. City life is something she's certainly trying to adjust to, but it will most likely take a lot of time. Not only was she thankful for that tidbit, but the city at night gives a whole new meaning to the word 'creepy', so the library only did her justice. Plus, it was a convenient walk if she was ever in need of a book…or an actual _working_ computer.

She adjusted her position by the door, making enough space for her cat to move in. Oh dear, she was already calling him 'hers'. Well, at least she hadn't said it out loud yet.

Upon hearing her shuffle around, he flicked one of his ears and quickly looked up at her with a muddied face and wide-eyed expression, looking as though he was shaken out of a trance.

A thin smile decorated her lips at the adorable sight. "Don't make me pick you up again, I bet you're hungry." Sure, the cat needed washed, but she couldn't help but worry about the more important question at hand. For however long he wandered outside in those woods, she was sure he needed a decent meal in his stomach. Plus, even with the dirt caked on, she could tell he was as thin as a rail.

To signal her last statement, there was a rumbling from the belly in question. She giggled as the cat bowed his head down, quickly pacing into the room and eyes drawn to the floor. That's certainly one way to get him into her apartment.

Following his lead, she stepped into her temporary home, making sure to lock the door. Easing out of her black flats and setting them onto the rubber mat, she wiggled her bare feet into the tan carpet, loving the feeling of being safely within building walls.

The cat quietly observed the indoor room, pupils glancing about and readjusting to the light. He took careful steps, trekking around and inspecting.

Flipping the backpack off onto the kitchen counter, she allowed the animal to wander as he pleased- ignoring the fact that he was completely caked in mud for the time being- as she padded over towards the small refrigerator, silently hoping she had something to feed the cat. Opening it, she was greeted with the always refreshing cold air against her face. The little light bulb flicked on a few seconds later – at this point, she really didn't care, as long as the fridge was still working.

She did a quick survey of her stash- a jar of pickles, left over pizza, milk, water, half-eaten chocolate cake, strawberries, mayonnaise, tuna in a can- "Ah ha!"

Somewhere in the room, the cat jumped, tail ruffled and back arched.

Grabbing the tasty little savior of the night, she flipped open the already undone lid, exposing the fresh white meat – thank goodness she had changed her mind yesterday and ordered pizza instead!

Rummaging through the cabinets, she stumbled upon a small enough bowl. She didn't want the cat eating straight from the can- she heard people say it could easily cut their tongue if she wasn't careful, and the poor creature has definitely been through enough. She'll have to get some cat food at the convenience store in the morning, who knows what straight tuna would do to a cat's stomach – hopefully nothing too bad. It was fish after all, right?

Pulling a drawer open, she could almost smack herself in the face. The spoons… they were all thrown away after that little 'incident' with the disposable. Just another thing she had to add to her list of buying things; she could be a real klutz sometimes when she's not paying attention. At least she now knows she won't be having cereal in the morning.

She ended up reaching for a fork instead, preparing the tuna for her adorable guest. Really, it's been quite a long time since Lenalee had her very own animal to take care of. Most of the time, Kumoi didn't approve if the animal could apparently 'bite', which pretty much crossed out most of the pet population. She didn't really mind, her brother had always been overprotective of her, and overtime she's learned to adore that aspect about him. Plus, an animal was never at the top of her list for birthday gifts and Christmas presents anyways.

Scraping out the last bit of tuna from the can and shaking her head to rid herself of memories, she placed the fork in the sink and was about to go searching for the cat-

-until a loud, grumbling noise sounded from behind her.

Turning on her heal, she met those silver pools. He was sitting on the stool…next to her countertop. On. The. Stool. Her countertop….stool.

Her mouth was gaping, she knew it, but couldn't hide it. Not when a cat is this- did she even need to say it? He was just- wow. Seriously? ..He had table manners too?

She could have sworn she saw the cat's eyes crinkle at the corners.

Abruptly shutting her mouth, she took a step forward and reached the white countertop, placing the tuna bowl in front of his well postured form, "..Will you ever stop surprising me?" He was pretty good at sneaking up on her; she had to give him that. She adjusted the bowl so it was directly in front of him. "And…yes, I suppose you can eat at the counter…"

His response was a gentle stare, followed by what sounded like a grateful 'mewl' before all but plunging his face into the bowl.

Lenalee was taken aback as meat pieces flew from the wrath of the cat's hunger. Decidedly leaving him to chomp mercilessly on the tuna fish, she flung herself in the direction of the bathroom. While he's eating like a – seriously - food deprived, vicious tiger, she thought it would be a good time to prepare the bath.

Looking back at the animal from over her shoulder, she let a smile overtake her lips, overjoyed that she finally had someone – although an animal – to be with.

She laughed - a small, quiet laugh that she hid behind her palm - but one that finally sounded _real_.

A friend's a friend, after all.

* * *

**A/N: **Thank you for reading! :D Please review and let me know how good or absolutely horrible I did~ D:


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: **First of all, I wanted to thank you all _so, so_ much for all the positive feedback on this story! ;_; You guys are amazing! Seriously, I wasn't expecting so many reviews, just- ahhh! Infinite amount of thanks to all the readers! :D Secondly, I wish to apologize for the delay again. I finally finished all my finals this week, so that was kinda on my mind for awhile and hindered my updating quite a bit. Nevertheless, like I promised, another chapter! Hopefully this one doesn't seem rushed. . If so, let me know! (although, I guess it'd be a good thing if I rushed once in awhile - I know, I'm slow with my storytelling ^^;) Also, just a reminder that this fanfiction is indeed rated T for a reason! I'm not going past the boundaries and switching it to M.. hurr durr xD Enjoy~!

* * *

Chilling tile hit Lenalee's bare feet as she made a grab for the fascist handle, pushing the shower curtains out of the way. As water appeared before her, she placed a hand underneath it, checking the temperature and hoping it would warm up momentarily. On some unforgiving days, the water seemed to be stuck in the ice age… talk about completely not worth the rent. It would be nice if the place weren't spider infested as well.

Pleased with herself once it finally hit room temperature, she sat on the side of the tub and let her gaze wander out the door. From her position she could just make out a swooshing, brown tail, happily dancing back and forth from atop the seat. Over the sound of running water, her ears faintly caught the distant rumble of a purring cat munching on tuna.

She smiled – she's been doing that quite a lot tonight.

Really, just how lucky was she to find him? To be quite frank, ever since Lenalee had arrived in this city, lady luck wasn't exactly chummy with her side of the story. An 'outcast' would be the perfect word to describe how she felt. No matter where she was or what she did, odd stares would follow her. Alright, so she never was exactly the talker, but neither was she a trouble maker! It was simply _frustrating_! Maybe she was just over exaggerating…If only her brother had come with her, or perhaps Kanda..

No wait, definitely _not_ Kanda. She'd rather not imagine Komui's horrible reaction if he were to find out Kanda of all people were keeping an eye on her.

She gave a long, drawn out sigh with her palm scrunched up against a cheekbone. It was all wishful thinking anyways, not like it would ever happen.

But thankfully, God - or somebody - seemed to care just enough to send her a friend – one that seriously needed a good soak…and perhaps some kind of a _deodorizer_.

Getting up, she idly made her way back to the kitchen and approached said friend from behind. His little body was hunched over, muddied fur spiked out from the tips of his shoulders as he mumbled to himself. She cautiously peered over his form and to her surprise, realized that he had wiped the bowl completely clean – t-that was _fast_!

The cat, realizing he was being watched, stiffened and glanced upwards, giving her another dumbfounded stare. The cuteness was simply unbearable and she even had to bite down on her tongue in an attempt to muffle a little screech attempting to break through her throat - now _that_ would have been embarrassing, even though surely the cat wouldn't have cared. Instead, she settled for reaching out a hand and giving him a few soft strokes behind an ear. He flinched at the unexpected touch, but after a few seconds as she began to scratch, his eyes began drooping slowly.

He was _really_ starting to warm up to her.

Restraining her hand back after a few moments, is what it sure felt like, the cat blinked suddenly from the loss of contact as Lenalee ran a hand passed a few white patches of fur, pulling out a dirt clump along the way.

She straightened her stance, "Okay, we better get you cleaned up." She curled her fingers underneath one of the stool's legs, "Can you jump down?"

Lenalee didn't really have a clue to why she was talking to him like he understood, but for whatever reason, it always seemed to work. He launched himself down, gracefully landing on all fours. The moment she moved her leg, he took a step, walking once again beside her. She took notice of how well-postured he carried himself, almost as if he were on display as a mud sculpture in a dirt museum.

Reaching the bathroom, the sound of pitter-pattering paws on tile began to slow their tempo. Lenalee questioningly gave him a quick glance over her shoulder, seeing as though he had completely frozen in place, and proceeded to turn off the running water.

The cat, however, had suddenly remembered a very important.. large? Definitely large, issue at stake here.

Water, plus the fact that he was drenched in dry dirt from ear to paw, surely would result in a clean and fresh new pelt. Now, this wasn't so much the issue; cleanliness is something he, for one, looks forward to on every occasion. By all means, the water sounded _delightful_!

Nevertheless, how would _she_ take it? And why the heck was he so worried? He unsheathed his claws unconsciously on the bathroom rug. Of course, it will be over in an instant. The girl was planning to give him a bath, after all… _wait-!_

The thought finally hit him, and he went rigid in shock.

…_. A-a-a b-bath!?_

Lenalee continued to wave her hand in front of the cat's face. His eyes were so wide, and not a single whisker twitched; it was almost as if he was struck by Medusa herself. Again, she continued; still no response.

Sighing, she racked her brain for some clues.

A sudden thought flickered through her mind. Weren't cats deathly afraid of water? Perhaps that's just some sort of cat stereotype, but if_ not_…she really hoped this wouldn't be too much of a concern.

After a few more seconds of complete and total lack of movement from said stone statue in question, Lenalee unquestionably began to pick him up from underneath the front legs. He wasn't going to clean himself, after all…well, perhaps he _could_, but that would hardly give them the same results.

As though being shot out of a daze, realization hit him as he was suddenly being lifted. He snapped back to reality, and on pure instinct, began to squirm.

Lenalee stretched her arms out from the sudden spazztic episode the cat was having, turning her head to the side and peeking one eye open. "Hey there! It's alright! It's _alright_!" She gripped the cat more firmly, making sure he wouldn't fall.

He only continued his previous actions, writhing and struggling against her hold.

As a final, desperate act, Lenalee held on, gripping the animal's body gently but firmly, and looked him directly in the eyes, "ALRIGHT!" she nearly screamed.

That seemed to grab his wide-eyed attention.

Her lips turned upward as her expression softened, her body gradually relaxing, "It's alright, I understand that you're probably scared, but I promise nothing bad will happen to you as long as I'm here. Look," she gestured towards the tub with her head, "the waters' not that deep. It'll barely reach your stomach, and I'll be sure to keep a hand on you at all times." Determination was evident in the young girl's features, "You can trust me."

And with that, the cat knew he was stuck.

Once again, Lenalee began her trek towards the bath with the – now completely silent – animal hooked underneath a careful arm. Using her free hand, she cupped the warm bath water and carefully ran it over the cat's front paw. He seemed to barely react, which was a good sign. Hopefully, this will prepare him for what's in store and get the animal used to the water temperature. She scooped a few more handfuls, running water over his back, behind his neck, on his tummy, and even through his tail.

This evidently smeared his fur into a lighter, creamish coffee-brown. Well, at least they were making progress.

It was at that moment that the cat swore, with her hands gently scrubbing water throughout his fur, her fingernails lightly scrapping against his skin, that he could not possibly be any more_ embarrassed _than he was at this very moment. Was embarrassed even the right word? A severer word would seem more appropriate.

His train of thought was quickly broken as his paws broke through the water's surface and into the liquid. He barely heard the girl mutter something along the lines of, "alright, you ready?", most certainly _not! Ah, geez.._

But he found out that he did not seem to mind once he was plunged into the neck-deep bath water, that was at least, as long as the girl was gripping both sides of his midsection.

…What the _hell_ was he doing?

Lenalee began to work her hands through his pelt, cocking her head quizzically as the cat kept his gaze downcast. By the time he was completely engulfed with water, a good portion of the dirt had already come off. She could now see brilliant white patches of fur.

She beamed, "Look at you! You're such a pretty kitty underneath all that muck!" Although, he would probably be even more beautiful if she could only use soap on the animal. Unfortunately, she didn't know if any of the shampoo or bath soap she owned was animal safe. Better safe than sorry.

His nose was now dipping into the water. At the moment, he didn't really care. Who knew a compliment such as 'pretty' would get him feeling all…peculiar.

It was a good thing the water was warm, because his body felt like a furnace.

Delicately, she wiped the rest of the mud out of his now stunning, bright white tail, which made the poor animal stiffen his back a little too straight, and set back a little to appreciate her work. Noticing the cat's odd position in the water, with a front paw tucked underneath his belly and his head almost fully submerged in the water, she carefully reached underneath his chin, scratching it gently.

For some reason, he really did not want to go through with this. He suddenly wished he were somewhere else.

Reluctantly, his head began to rise from the girl's feather light touch.

Lenalee gave a little snort, "What are you doing, you silly thing? You're going to end up hurting…your..self…." and a short gasp abruptly escaped her throat.

The cat squeezed his eyes shut, almost painfully, as muddy bathwater cascaded down his face, descending to the tips of his translucent whiskers.

The overall friendly atmosphere darkened in almost an instant.

A blood red scar…

….on his face..

..which would have been simply enough for her to take in all at once, but then she noticed the thing that disturbed her most underneath the water..

…. that black, hairless limb.

And then the white feline made the mistake of opening his eyes.

Suddenly, the cat scrambled, his limbs thrashing, and her hand retreated so fast as if it was scorched by an iron. The calm water had evolved into a raging storm as the cat desperately tried to climb up the side of the tub, wet white fur sticking slick to his body. His wet paws ran in place on the slippery surface, wanting to find an exit but only managing to run in an endless cycle. Lenalee was shaken out of her stupor and quickly brought out a hand, attempting to stop the cat's harsh movements. His behavior only increased as she neared him – automatically, she backed off.

He was used to this, but he never let it bother him before. It ripped through him like a dagger to the heart. Why this girl of all people…

It _hurt_, and he had no idea why.

He tried in vain to tilt his head away from her, hiding his arm underneath his belly and making failed attempts at leaping out of the water. One good paw was simply not enough.

That's when she got a quick look at his face and parted her lips slightly. Although he was an animal, there was no better way to describe the expression clearly written all over his features – …_Rejection._

Just then, the fact that he was an animal never even crossed her mind. He could read her. Like an open book. She didn't know how, but he did it. And he was good at it.

Something was _incredibly_ different about this cat…

He could read her facial expressions.

Lenalee felt her chest throb painfully in response… _that_ was what her expression had told him…?

He was struggling, finally managing to move his slender body up and over the tub. He stumbled and slipped slightly on the tile, causing a watery path in his wake. He got up on all fours shakily and then all but vanished out into her living room.

Not even thinking it over, she reacted, grabbing a towel off the floor and quickly followed the sopping wet creature.

Everything flew past him in a blur. He swiftly made it to the balcony door, pushing and nudging and attempting to force the glass doors to open. He had to escape, had to get out, find somewhere else. He didn't want this. For some reason, not like _this_.

He managed to stick his nose in between the glass doors, but that's as far as he got.

Unexpectedly, something warm wrapped around his limb; his left deformity. Suddenly immobile, he turned around cautiously and was met with a sight that had his breath hitch in his throat.

She let a relieved sigh escape her and violet eyes fluttered open. She parted her lips, an unwavering, firm gaze cemented on her face.

"We've just met. In a way, you could say we're strangers, but already I have picked up so many good qualities about you…" she coughed quietly, "For one thing, you're polite. A gentlecat - a real sweetheart! You were patient with me, you waited for your food, and my goodness, you can eat!" She laughed no louder than a whisper.

If only her brother could see her now, giving a speech to a cat.

Sighing, she took in a breath, "Please…listen to me. I know you're smart, so you probably can. Your…appearance," the animal visibly flinched, "does not change who you are. I admit, it shocked me at first, but I would never, ever purposely hurt you! I would never reject you for something as silly as that! Looking at it now, it's actually pretty cool," it was actually rather unique. The pentagram on his face dipped down, through his eyelid, and down the rest of his face in such an artsy way. The arm was smooth, black, and sleek. It had a small, green cross imbedded into the top of his paw that shined like dazzling emerald.

She took the towel she's been grasping and quietly removed her hand from his smooth arm. Very carefully, she settled it on top of him and began to rub the dampness out of his beautiful, white coat.

The animal glanced up at her with unwavering, large pupils.

She smiled, "I know we only just met, but who knows? We could perhaps become friends, even make more memories - I personally already see you as a friend. Within these few moments we've shared together, I already know that you're beautiful, both inside and out. Sure, we all have flaws, but sometimes it's those exact flaws that make us more dazzling, more eye-catching. And either way you look at it, it's the soul that outshines everything in the end. After all, that's the real us. That's who we really are."

The towel slouched away from his face and fell quietly on the floor beside him. Her smile grew when she saw the look in the cat's expression.

"So," she began, "will you stay here with me? I could definitely use some company." She laughed lightly, already knowing the answer. She placed a hand near the side of his face, smiling blissfully as he leaned into her touch. As clear as day, it was written in those dazzling silver orbs.

_Hope._

* * *

Stretching her arms upward, she managed to slide the purple t-shirt she used as pajamas up and over her head – with thankfully little difficulty – as she habitually pulled both hair ties, allowing her long hair to lie straight and flat, cascading around her shoulders and against her back.

Yawning, Lenalee ruffled out the fuzz that had attached itself to her shirt, plucking the largest bit with her fingernails. She had decidedly postponed her own bathing routine for the night. Honestly, a shower could wait. It was the middle of the night anyway and she didn't want to go to bed with wet hair soaking the pillow. Plus, she was just too drained to argue with logic – a little dirt never hurt anyone, anyways.

She didn't even want to _think_ about the bike she had to pick up tomorrow.

Examining her bed for a second or two, she walked her way back over towards her bedroom door and quietly opened it, although the squeaky hinges had other plans and made themselves known to the world. There, her new, beautiful little friend had his back turned, his tail flicked patiently back and forth. The gleam in his coat outshone even the darkest part of the hallway, as if it were illuminating the space around it. He was almost like her own personal little beacon of light.

Lenalee shook her head in awe. After their little 'talk', to mildly put it of course, the animal had blatantly refused to leave her side for a few minutes. As she walked, he had weaved between her legs, which hadn't altered her walking pattern in any way, but it was just such a _difference_ from his usual behavior that it had her questioningly stumbling quite a few times. However, once she had mentioned the phrase 'changing clothes', the feline had about-faced at that very instant and all but plopped his little behind a few feet away from her form – not to mention, of course, with his back turned.

He was a unique individual, _that_ was for sure.

That arm and that scar, although curiously intriguing her, were already something she had learned to associate with her feline friend. For some reason, it simply seemed to fit him, and she saw no reason to question it further than that.

Taking a piece of thread attached to her shirt, she dangled it in front of the cat's face. As it landed on his pink little nose, he twitched with such ferocity that it had her stifling laughs behind her palm.

The animal turned his head and gave her a mock-glare in return, amusement evident in his features.

Lenalee quickly gathered herself, "Hey there, I'm done," she backed up two spaces, "you can come on in now. Find yourself a comfortable spot on the bed, I don't know about you but I'm beat!" Walking a few spaces towards the twin size bed, Lenalee allowed herself to openly flop down on the covers, exhaustion finally seeping in.

Hesitantly, the animal followed.

Noticing him approach, she padded the space next to her invitingly and gave him a little smile, "No need to be shy anymore, I believe we already cracked the ice with that one." Flinging back the covers, she snuggled her legs into the sheets and continued her tapping on the mattress.

The animal only needed a second before he crouched, giving his tail a slight shake, and sprang up onto the comforter.

Reaching over towards her nightstand, Lenalee clicked her lamp off, snuggling further into the warmth the blankets provided. The cat, visible thanks to the stunning white coat, continued to stand. Unsure with what to do, he began to knead the sheets.

Sensing his discomfort, Lenalee placed a steady hand along his back. The cat tensed, abruptly halting his previous actions. Although, his discomfort slowly started to die down as she began applying pressure to his back, bringing him down onto the mattress.

Gently, she let her fingernails trail through his pelt. The cat shuddered slightly at the touch, but encouraged the act by bravely tucking himself against her side, his face nuzzling against her stomach. She smiled dreamily as her vision began to fade, with warmth securely nestled against her side, her eyes quietly began betraying her as she fell into a nice, dreamless sleep.

And the cat, for one, couldn't believe how lucky he was, to find someone so accepting, so willing, and so caring…

Cuddling closer, his eyes began drooping as he, too, fell into a deep slumber.

* * *

Lenalee awoke sluggishly, her eyes fluttering gradually open only to be attacked by the blinding morning light filtering through her shutters.

Groaning slightly, she shut her eyes again.

Sleep began to welcome her back. With it being a Saturday and all, she didn't have to worry about school.

...

Plus, there was_ also_ the fact that she was so warm, she could just lie in bed forever without a care in the world.

Moving her arm slightly into a more comfortable position, she suddenly felt her movement restrained.

...Well, that was odd.

Attempting her movement again, she bumped into a soft, smooth warmth.

Logic was endeavoring to get through to her tired brain…what in the _world_?

And that was when she noticed all of the fabric that generally was around her body was, in fact, pooled around her feet.

…so then what was keeping her so warm?

...

The soft warmth suddenly shifted, but not in just that one spot that she had tried to move her arm. Oh no, it shifted all around her.

Then something nuzzled against her hair.

And suddenly, a drowsy groan brushed past her ear.

Lenalee abruptly went stiff.

...

Peeking an eye open, eyelashes shielding the light piercing her eyes, it took her a minute to adjust to the brightness in the room.

And when it finally did, her eyes could only take in so much at once.

She was being cuddled, by skin, a little _too much skin._

Lenalee did the only thing she thought was reasonable at that point.

She screamed bloody murder.

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**A/N: :D**

Aaand just to answer a few questions I got from the reviews:

_Will Yuu and Baka Usagi meet the kitty?_ - In due time. I've already got their meetings planned out *evil laughter*

_Will he ever be human? -_I guess that answers your question. XD

And since I always say it, please review and tell me what you think! :D


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